Charya Tantra.
Charya tantra (Skt. caryātantra; Tib. སྤྱོད་རྒྱུད་, Wyl. spyod rgyud) aka Upayogatantra or Ubhayatantra (ཨུ་པའི་རྒྱུད་, u pa'i rgyud) — the second of the three outer classes of tantra and the fifth yana according to the nine yana classification.
1. Tatagata Family:
- Maha Vairochana Abhisambodhi Tantra [Toh 494] - Manjushri Mula Kalpa [p102] - Siddhaikavira Tantra [p103] Arapachana Manjushri
2. Padma Family:
(There are no texts translated from an Indian language into Tibetan from this classification)
3. Vajra Family:
- Vajrapani Abhisheka Tantra [Toh 496] - Nilambaradhara Vajrapani Tantra [Toh 498] - Vajrapatala Tantra [Toh 499]
The Charya Tantra Classification although following the Kriya system of Three Buddha Families, Tatagata, Padma and Vajra, has very few actual texts and very few deities and mandalas. Not all of the Tibetan Traditions agree on the text titles found under Charya. The Sakya Tradition includes The Manjushri Mulakalpa and Siddhaikavira Tantras as Charya. Most other schools classify those texts as Kriya Tantra. A deity such as Bhutadamara Vajrapani is found in both Charya and Anuttarayoga Tantras. In the Charya Tantras he is a main deity where as in the Anuttarayoga Tantras he performs the function of a supporting deity.
According to the Mitra Gyatsa of Mitra Yogin there are Nine Charya Tantra Mandalas (see Mitra Gyatsa):
16. Vajrapani (Sutra Tradition) 9 Deity
17. Amritakundali (?) 5 Deity
18. Vajrapani Nilambara 5 Deity
19. Vajrapani Chaitya 5 Deity
20. Vajrapani (Drozang Tradition) 9 Deity
21. Vajrapani Angkusha 13 Deity
22. Chanda Vajrapani 5 Deity
23. Vajra Garuda 9 Deity
24. Akshobhya 13 Deity
The vehicle of charya or ‘conduct tantra is so-called because it places an equal emphasis on the outer actions of body and speech and the inner cultivation of samadhi. It is also called the ‘tantra of both’ (Skt. ubhaya tantra) because its view conforms with that of yoga tantra, while its conduct is similar to that of kriya tantra.
Overview Given by Alak Zenkar Rinpoche[1]
Entry Point
One is matured by means of the five empowerments, which include the empowerments of the vajra, bell and name in addition to the water and crown empowerments[2], and then maintains the samayas of charya tantra, as described in the particular texts themselves.
View
The view is determined in the same way as in the yoga tantra.
Meditation
One visualizes oneself as the samaya being (Skt. samayasattva) and visualizes the wisdom deity (Skt. jñānasattva), who is regarded as a friend, in front of oneself, and then practises the conceptual meditations on the syllable, mudra and form of the deity, and the non-conceptual meditation on absolute bodhichitta by means of entering, remaining and arising.[3]
Conduct
The conduct here is the same as in kriya tantra.
Results
In the short term, one attains the common accomplishments and ultimately one reaches the level of a vajradhara of the four buddha families (i.e., the three families mentioned in the results of the kriya tantra vehicle plus the ratna family).
rgyud sde bzhi - Four sections of tantra. Kriya Tantra, Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra, and Anuttara Yoga. four classes of tantra: bya rgyud, 'Kriya'; spyod rgyud, 'Charya tantra'; rnal 'byor rgyud, 'yoga tantra'; bla med rnal 'byor rgyud, Anuttara-yoga tantra. Kriya Tantra, Ubhaya. or Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra, and Unsurpassed Yoga Tantra. activity tantra, engagement tantra, yoga tantra, and highest yoga tantra [RY]
rgyud sde 'og ma gsum - Three Lower Sections of Tantra. Kriya Tantra {bya ba'i rgyud} Ubhaya. or Charya Tantra {u pa'i rgyud} or {spyod pa'i rgyud} and Yoga Tantra {rnal 'byor gyi rgyud} [RY]
spyod rgyud - Charya; engagement tantra, tantra as engagement; Performance Tantra, Charya tantra, one of {rgyud sde bzhi}. performance tantra. Charya Tantra [RY]
spyod rgyud kyi theg pa - the vehicle of Charya Tantra [RY]
spyod rgyud tshe dpag med - Amitayus according to Charya Tantra [RY]
spyod pa'i rgyud - Charya Tantra, Tantra of Conduct [RY]
phyi rgyud sde gsum - Three Outer Tantra Pitakas. Kriya Tantra, Ubhaya. or Charya Tantra, and Yoga Tantra. 1) {kri ya}. 2) {su pa (spyod rgyud)} 3) {yo ga} the three outer tantras, Kriya, Upa, yoga, [Syn. {dka' thub rigs byed kyi theg pa}; three outer tantras; three outer sections of tantra [RY]
u pa'i rgyud - Ubhaya. or Charya Tantra [RY]
Notes
- ↑ A Brief Presentation of the Nine Yanas by Alak Zenkar Rinpoche
- ↑ Of the Kriya tantra
- ↑ ‘Entering’ refers to the realization that all phenomena are beyond arising, ‘remaining’ means to abide once the non-conceptual nature has manifest and ‘arising’ means developing intense compassion for all beings who do not realize this.
